Cricket Witness No 5 - Whites on Green

65 Chapter Eight Swansea-by-the-sea The distinctive nature of the St Helen’s ground, overlooking Swansea Bay, has made it a favourable place over the years for bowlers, especially those who swing the ball around. There have been many occasions in Glamorgan’s history – if all the elements are in the right place – with the tide coming in plus a decent amount of cloud overhead, the swing bowlers have prospered. Some have claimed that the pitch actually changes colour with the incoming tide, but this may be part of the mythology and mystique of county cricket’s seaside venue with long-serving groundsman George Clement instead noticing that when the tide moved in, it brought a salty sea breeze which caused his spectacles to mist up. 1 In his estimation, it was these damp breezes which made the ball move in the air and off the seam, and explained why several Glamorgan captains including Wilfred Wooller would consult the local tide tables before deciding whether it would be best to bat or bowl first when winning the toss. The legendary microclimate however has not always helped the home side, perhaps most famously in their Gillette Cup match in June 1974 Wilf Wooller inspects the Swansea wicket with, to the right, long-serving groundsman George Clement.